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Interview with David Bowley, Vinteloper: "I cringe when I hear the word terroir."

Interview by Erin Ogilvie

David Bowley's excitement for wine is infectious. At his Urban Winery Project event in Sydney, he told the crowd: "We are the leaders of grown-up fun." And it's true - there is definitely something both adult and childish about squishing fermenting grapes under your feet, knowing he'll be turning it into next year's UWP vintage.

On the website for his winery, Vinteloper, it states that "To us, wine is more than a beverage, it's our way of life, so we're always dreaming about fun on the outside, while being serious about quality."

We sat down to talk with David about good quality fun, with a side of wine.

The Vinteloper winery is based in the Adelaide Hills. How does this region differ in comparison to nearby areas like Barossa and McLaren Vale?

I think Adelaide Hills is one of the most exciting regions in Australia. Amazing produce is here, and it’s only 20-30 minutes from the city. In terms of climate, it’s so much colder up here; we’ve already had nights that are only 6C overnight, but we still get plenty of sunshine in the daytime.

In the Barossa, there are a lot of vineyards that are 60-100 years old and were planted by immigrants who didn’t necessarily have the same level of analytical thinking that has been applied to the Adelaide Hills in the last few decades. A lot [of Adelaide Hills’ vineyards] are less than 25 years old and have been planted specifically to suit the region.

Do you think the Adelaide Hills suffers from being so close to these popular regions?

I think it suffers a bit, but there’s a whole new generation of wine drinkers who come to the Adelaide Hills when they come to South Australia. Evidence of that is the success that the Basket Range Collective is having. Brands like BK and Murdoch Hill, and these other guys that I admire – you can’t argue about their energy. There’s an amazing younger community of winemakers and producers.

When we started back in 2008, the Adelaide Hills was searching for an identity and it’s amazing how quickly that’s happened. In nine years, it’s gone from not having as strong an identity as Barossa and McLaren Vale, to having an identity on the world stage.

What was your main goal when you began the Urban Winery Project in 2012?

The time when we’re in vintage is so dynamic. It’s pumped full of energy. When we make wine, it’s creation. We take something that the earth provides and turn into something that people love. I just absolutely love it, and I wanted to let people in on the creation, the most beautiful part of winemaking. It’s in a small and concentrated way obviously, but I believe anyone who drinks wine is going to be interested to know more about how it’s made.

How much do you think your guests know about winemaking before they come to an event?

I think they mostly know what marketing teams feed them: beautiful shots of vineyards, oak barrels and all that shit. We want them to make their own assessment, to taste the grapes themselves, touch them and feel them between their toes.

Most people have never even eaten wine grapes before and have no concept of how small or sweet they are. That type of education is where the real value is for us; we don’t want to stand there and talk about tannins, or French oak vs American oak. It has no context.

Our industry seems to be trying to shake off a perception that it’s full of wankers who like to talk about terroir. But do you think this is true?

As far as wank in wine goes, sure there is a place for it. But there are such a small number of wine drinkers who actually know what you’re talking about. I cringe every time I hear someone say the word terroir, because it means nothing to so many people. It’s just a buzzword. What the hell does terroir even mean? Especially in the New World! It’s all just features [of the wine], and most people don’t care about features, they care about feelings.

So is wine becoming more relatable for the everyday drinker?

There’s a different language that is being spoken about wine now. It’s driven by guys like Vinomofo, who are doing a fantastic job of stripping away all the junk and speaking the truth. They’re a great example and it’s got to be the way forward.

Every single person is intimidated by wine on some level. I’m intimidated when people start talking about the sub-regions of Burgundy or Bordeaux, but that’s a pretty high level and a lot of people’s is far lower than that. That’s why it’s so important to take the wank out of wine and talk to people on their level. You need to work out what their level is: there’s no point talking about French or American oak to someone who can’t even tell if they have Pinot Noir or Cabernet in their glass. You have to break it down and talk from the start.

What do you want guests to walk away from Urban Winery Project with?

I want them to walk away thinking that, having been to that event, they love wine more than they did the day before: that they are more of a wine drinker today than they were yesterday. Whether they drink Vinteloper or anything else, I don’t really care; it’s all about the greatest good for the greatest number. It’s about turning someone who spends $15-20 on a bottle of wine regularly, to someone who spends $25-30 regularly. Because I think that’s where people have a better experience, above $25. Obviously, we hope for brand awareness and recognition for Vinteloper, but that’s secondary to everything else.

On the topic of Vinteloper: for those looking out for the brand, what’s your signature wine?

It’s got to be the Pinot Noir. We were the national people’s choice winner for Pinot Palooza 2016, thanks to first place rankings in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, top five in Brisbane, and runner-up in Adelaide. It blows me away to think the Melbourne people chose an Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir over and above all the Victorian Pinots. It’s great because it’s the one I wanted us to be known for; it’s the hardest to make and the most challenging to grow, so it’s cool that people recognise you’re good at something that’s really tough!

Riedel is a proud sponsor of the Urban Winery Project, and David’s passionate plight to make wine more relatable and more enjoyable. And as far as Vinteloper’s signature wine goes, we can confirm their Pinot Noir is absolutely delicious!

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